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It ain't easy being king, but the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta doesn't seem to have too hard a time of it, at least when it comes to reigning over the rest of Ferrari's roost. The top grand-tourer in a brand famous for its GTs as much as for its racing, the F12 Berlinetta gets by on the force of both its looks and its mighty V-12 engine.

Rated at 729 horsepower, 6.3-liter V-12 in the F12 Berlinetta (or F12berlinetta as it's officially styled) is a brute, but it's a majestic one. Sixty miles per hour arrives in a scant 3.1 seconds, and top speed is beyond 211 mph. How far beyond? Buy one, find 20 or 30 miles of private straight-line road, and find out, we guess.

We have to guess because we've not driven the F12 Berlinetta just yet. While we hope to soon, we can admire it from afar.

Afar may be the best way to admire the F12 Berlinetta, in truth, as when we've been up close to it, some of the styling cues haven't set quite right. The most notable of them is the dramatic side swoop, pressing a deep and sharp curve into the car's fenders and doors. We can't quite put our finger on it, but the proportions are certainly something other than the Golden Ratio. It's just a bit unnatural. At the same time, it's daring, and that's something Ferrari hasn't always been with its top-of-the-line grand tourers.

Inside the cabin, the F12 Berlinetta gets an F1-inspired steering wheel with manettino control toggle for the performance modes, a two-tone color theme, and extensive premium leather. Carbon fiber, red switches, and the driver-focused layout all hint at the brand's and the F12's race-bred heritage.

As for space, the F12 Berlinetta offers good accommodations on paper, assuming Ferrari's knack for building supportive-yet-supple seats has held true.

Priced to start around the same neighborhood as a rather nice house in much of the U.S., the $330,000 F12 isn't exactly affordable, but in the world of worlds' bests, it's a relative bargain.